United: The Second Union
by Anime Master ZERO
Summary: The sequel to "United We Stand". A second wave of Blackhearted has appeared. The Anime Defense Initiative has been revived and a new team must be assembled to fight the forces of interdimensional evil once again. TITLE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.


**Disclaimer:** All official anime, manga, and video game characters are property of their respective creators, publishers, studios, distributors, and licensors.

Yes, I know I still haven't finished the first one. But I just had to get the ideas for this one down on paper. And yes, I know some of the characters aren't even from Japanese productions, but shut up, it works.

* * *

**UNITED: THE SECOND UNION**

**The Second Wave**

He was a ten-year-old boy from a small town in a distant land. Sporting a bright red cap and a black vest, he travelled the region with his three closest companion. He was Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. Accompanied by his life-long friend Pikachu and their two friends Brock and Dawn, they journeyed through the great Sinnoh region searching for their next great adventure. Unbeknownst to them, however, they were being followed from several meters behind by a large hot air balloon.

"So where are we headed now?" Ash inquired as his yellow companion rode on top of his head.

"According to the guide book, we're heading to Lake Valor," Brock answered as he examined the book he was carrying, "It's a peaceful place with a luxury resort. Legend has it that the legendary Pokémon Azelf lives there."

"Azelf?" Ash took out his Pokédex and typed in the name Azelf.

"_Azelf: the Willpower Pokémon. When Azelf flew, people gained the determination to do things. IT was the birth of willpower."_

"That's pretty cool!" Ash exclaimed, "I'm gonna try to catch it!"

"I'd love to go and relax at that resort!" Dawn said.

"I think we can all use a weekend of relaxation," Brock agreed. Even Ash, who was always so gung-ho about his next gym match had to concur that this would be a great opportunity for a good rest. So their plans were determined right then and there.

When they arrived at the Lake Valor resort, they were astounded. It was nothing like they had imagined. One large building served as the main office while several smaller buildings served as the guest suites. The group immediately proceeded to the office and up to the front desk. To their great disappointment, the entire resort was booked solid.

"You're welcome to rest in the lobby if you like, though," the manager offered.

"I guess it's as good as anything," said Ash, "Hey, where'd Brock go?"

"Pika." Pikachu pointed over to the corner and Ash turned to look where he saw Brock flirting with the umpteen-billionth pretty girl they had met on their trip.

"My knees go weak at such beautiful eyes and absolute pure beauty," the group chaperon said.

"Croagunk!" Poison Jabbed!

"Among other things!" Brock fell over backward and Croagunk grabbed him by his belt and dragged him outside. As the Poison Fighting Pokémon left the building, a boy with auburn hair wearing a viridian jumpsuit walked in carrying a plastic bucket. He saw Ash and stopped.

"Ash, is that you?"

"Richie?" Ash looked and it was indeed his friend Richie. "Richie!"

"Hey Ash! It's good to see you again!" The boys hugged laughing while Pikachu and Sparky danced around happily in a circle.

"Who's that?" asked Dawn.

"Oh, that's right. You weren't there back then." Brock explained to Dawn. "Back in Kanto, Ash first met Richie at Indigo Plateau and they hit it off almost right away. Their mutual love for Pokémon was incredible and they fared extremely well against Team Rocket. Then in the fifth round of the tournament, they faced each other which deepened their friendship even more. They've been extremely good friends ever since."

"Wow. It must be a really nice surprise for Ash to see him then."

"Richie, what are you doing here?" Ash asked his old friend.

"I'm here on a bit of a vacation," Richie answered, "I'm on a Pokémon journey in Sinnoh and I decided to take a two-day vacation for a bit by the lake."

"That's awesome! We were gonna do the same thing, but the guy said there's no room left."

"Well if you guys want, you're welcome to stay in my suite with me?"

"Really?" Dawn gasped, "Are you sure we won't be intruding?"

"Not at all." Richie turned to Ash, "You should see Zippo now. He's evolved into a Charizard."

"I can't wait!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed.

"Come on. I'll take you guys over." Richie quickly grabbed the ice he intended to get before leading everybody back to his suite. Upon their arrival, they were all greeted by the boy's Pokémon. Zippo had indeed evolved into a Charizard. Not only that, but Rose was now a Swellow and Cruise had evolved into a Tyranitar.

"So Ash, have you caught any Sinnoh Pokémon?"

"Come on, Richie? Did you really need to ask?" Ash laughed, which caused Richie to laugh with him.

"No, I guess not."

Ash smiled and he took all his Poké Balls off his belt and threw them out in front of him. "Come on out, everybody!" The red and white spheres popped open and all of the boy's Pokémon appeared before him.

"Everyone's looking good," Richie complimented.

Suddenly, a giant mechanical hand shot down from above and grabbed every single one of Ash's and Richie's Pokémon. "HEY!" A large shadow appeared on the ground and the boy looked up to see a very familiar aircraft.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"

"It's speaking to me loud and clear."

"On the wind."

"Past the stars."

"In your ears!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace."

"Dashing hope putting fear in its place."

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet."

"When everything's worse, our work is complete."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place..."

"We're Team Rocket..."

"In your face!"

"Wobuffet!"

"Mime Mime!"

"TEAM ROCKET!"

"Give me back Pikachu!" demanded Ash.

"And the rest of our Pokémon!" added Richie.

"Hey Jessie, isn't that the twerp from the Indigo League?" James asked.

"It doesn't matter. We're taking all their Pokémon and there's nothing they can do about it!" Jessie laughed.

"Wanna bet?" Richie pulled his cap down slightly over his eyes. "Zippo, break free with Strength!" Zippo roared and bulged up his muscles before smashing through the hand. Team Rocket immediately gasped as the fliers caught all the Pokémon and brought them back to the ground.

"We're not leaving without a fight!" shouted Jessie as she threw two Poké Balls, "Seviper! Yanmega! Go!"

"Cacnea and Carnivine, you too!" James threw his Poké Balls and was immediately assaulted with painful affection by his Pokémon. "Not me! Get them!"

"Seviper, Poison Tail! Yanmega, Air Slash!"

"Cacnea, Pin Missile! Carnivine, Power Whip!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash.

"Sparky, use Thunderbolt too!" Richie added.

As the Pokémon were about to engage in a mighty clash, a loud explosion rocked the entire area.

"What da heck was dat?" Meowth asked.

"It came from the lake!" Richie exclaimed. Almost immediately, large aircraft bearing a golden capital G on the side rose up from the forest.

"It's Team Galactic!" Ash shouted.

"Ash!" Dawn ran outside, "You have to come see this!"

"Everyone return!" Ash and Richie returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls. "We'll have to do this later, Team Rocket."

Inside Richie's suite, the television was on and tuned to the news, which was featuring Lake Valor. "We're at the site of Lake Valor where Team Galactic has just set off a powerful bomb. The water has been completely evaporated from the blast, leaving hundred of Magikarp without anything to swim in." The reporter was suddenly shoved out of the way and the Galactic Admin Jupiter stepped up.

"We are Team Galactic and we're here to make a truly perfect world," she said, "And I'd like to see anyone try to stop us!"

"We have to stop them!" Ash declared.

"Come on, let's go!" Richie called out.

Soon, Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Richie were running out to Lake Valor where the Galactic Bomb had been detonated. When they got there, they saw for themselves just how devastating the blast had been.

"How horrible!" gasped Dawn. She looked to the side and saw that Jun and Professor Rowan's assistant Lucas had also arrived. Down in the dry lake, Galactic Grunts were gathering up Magikarp while a man with spiky blue hair made his way toward a cave.

"It's Cyrus!" exclaimed Lucas, "The leader of Team Galactic."

"Lucas!" Dawn called out to the boy as she and the rest of the group carefully made their way down.

"Dawn?"

"Hey, what about us?" Jessie demanded as she, James, Meowth, and their Pokémon appeared.

"We've got bigger problems right now!" Ash yelled back at them.

"Grunts, don't let them get through." Cyrus ordered, "Azelf shall be ours."

"I beg to differ!" a voice over a loudspeaker called out. All eyes turned toward the sky. At first, nobody seemed to notice anything. But then a buzzing noise reached their ears and a giant helicopter soon appeared in the sky.

"Who would dare interfere with my plans?" Cyrus demanded. His answer came when several large blimps appeared behind the helicopter, all bearing a large red capital R. A loud shriek came out from Jessie and James.

"It's the boss!"

"Sir, it appears that Team Rocket has arrived in mass force," Mars reported to Cyrus.

"I can see that. But what are they doing here?" Aside from the helicopters, large black tanks bearing the Team Rocket logo rolled in and surrounded the lake and everyone standing in it. A platform rose up from the roof of the helicopter and a wealthy-looking man in a red business suit appeared with a large Persian standing beside him.

"Giovanni."

"Cyrus of Team Galactic, I presume."

"What are you doing here? Sinnoh is Team Galactic's territory."

"And Team Rocket is looking to expand."

"I will not allow you to corrupt my plans to create a perfect world!"

"Then perhaps you would like to settle this with a battle." Giovanni's helicopter descended and the platform lowered and came out the bottom of the aircraft.

"You think you can defeat me?" asked Cyrus.

"I am not just the leader of Team Rocket," said Giovanni, "I am also the gym leader in Viridian City."

"Alright then, I'll accept your challenge." Cyrus reached for his belt and took off his first Poké Ball. Meanwhile, Giovanni turned around and sat down in the comfortable lounge chair that was on the platform with him. His Persian walked up to him and he scratched it behind its ears. "My first Pokémon shall be Houndoom!" Cyrus threw his ball forward and it popped open to reveal his horned black dog.

"And I choose my Rhydon." Giovanni took a Poké Ball from inside his jacket and held it out as a stone beast appeared. "Rhydon, Body Slam." Rhydon let out a roar and charged toward Houndoom.

"You chose a Rock Pokémon to combat my Houndoom's Fire attribute. Predictable." Cyrus held out his hand and pointed, "Houndoom, you're much more agile. Dodge it and hit Rhydon with Will-O-Wisp." Houndoom leapt to the side and dodged Rhydon's Body Slam before opening its mouth and firing some small purple flames at its opponent. They struck its stony hide and left several burn marks in their place.

"Rhydon, Horn Drill attack." On Giovanni's orders, Rhydon began spinning its horn and charged again.

"I'm done with this." Cyrus held out his Poké Ball. "Houndoom return." The sphere shot a red laser beam at Houndoom and turned it into a figure of red light before sending it back to its interior. The Team Galactic leader then took out another Poké Ball. "Gyarados, Waterfall." He threw his Poké Ball and the terrifying Gyarados sprang out and rained down a crushing torrent of water on top of Rhydon. It was super effective and the Rock Pokémon was down.

"Rhydon, return." Giovanni returned his Rhydon to its Poké Ball, "Not bad. Now try this one." He took out another Poké Ball and called out a mighty Alakazam.

"Where did he get an Alakazam?" wondered Dawn, "Those are really hard to find."

"That's the leader of Team Rocket," Brock reminded her, "They steal Pokémon. That Alakazam must be one of the ones he stole."

"Oh, how horrible!"

"Alakazam, Psychic." Alakazam's eyes began to glow and a purple aura surrounded Gyarados. The massive dragon-like Pokémon struggled to break free, but it was all in vain. It was now under the influence of Alakazam's telekinetic power. All eyes watched as the Psychic Pokémon slammed it against a large rock and then into the ground.

"Now use Thunder." Lightning crackled from Alakazam's spoons and a bolt shot into the air and rained back down on top of Gyarados.

"Gyarados, return!" Cyrus returned the fainted Pokémon to its Poké Ball. "Houndoom, come back out!" He threw his first ball and his Houndoom reappeared. "Dark Pulse!" The black canine's eyes flashed and it unleashed a burst of dark energy that hit Alakazam with some heavy damage.

"Alakazam, use Psychic on the rocks," ordered Giovanni. Alakazam nodded and began to use its mind to lift several rocks off the lakebed and throw them at Houndoom.

"Get behind it, Houndoom!" ordered Cyrus. Houndoom began to jump back and forth as it weaved past the rocks and quickly got behind Alakazam. "Now Dark Pulse!" A second Dark Pulse was released and Alakazam fell over unconscious. Giovanni seemed unfazed as he returned it to its Poké Ball.

"Here's a little something I picked up from the Johto region. Feraligatr, come out." He opened his Poké Ball and summoned a big blue crocodile. "Use Hydro Pump."

"I've got something just for that," Cyrus declared, "Houndoom, dodge and then attack with Thunder Fang!" As Feraligatr unleashed a powerful stream of water, Houndoom ran around the side using the rocks for cover. As soon as it had managed to avoid the blast, it leapt up and sank its sparking fangs into its opponent, sending several volts of electricity coursing through its body. Another Thunder Fang later, Feraligatr was down. Giovanni followed up with a Nidoking and then a Kangaskhan. Both were defeated and he returned them to their Poké Balls.

"There's nothing you have left," Cyrus called out.

"Is that so?" Giovanni stood up and walked to the railing as he looked down at the leader of Team Galactic and his current Pokémon Weavile, "Don't you know that it's always wise to save your most powerful Pokémon for last?" He snapped his fingers and several tanks rolled aside to make way for a large mechanical beast. It rode in on set of treads with a large upper body, arms tipped with long sharp claws, and a head that bore a striking resemblance to Mewtwo.

"That's not a Pokémon!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"Are you refusing to do battle?" asked Giovanni, "Maybe you're just afraid."

"A mere machine is no match against my Pokémon!" Cyrus pointed to the large robot as it came to a halt underneath Giovanni's helicopter, "Weavile, Night Slash!"

"Weavile!" Weavile's claws became engulfed in darkness and it leapt up before swinging them at the machine, striking it on the surface. The eyes on the mechanical monster suddenly began to glow and its own claws were engulfed in darkness. It turned and struck Weavile on the chest.

"Was that Night Slash?" asked Ash.

"Feel free to use more than one Pokémon if you wish," Giovanni invited. Immediately, Cyrus took out all his Poké Balls and brought out his remaining Pokémon.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower! Crobat, Cross Poison! Honchkrow, Drill Peck! Weavile, X-Scissor!" All four Pokémon attacked at once and struck the machine, but just as it had done with Night Slash, it did the same with these attacks; it copied the moves and returned them all at once.

"What kind of monstrosity is this?" demanded Cyrus.

"This is the ultimate weapon!" Giovanni declared, "MechaMew2!"

"Where'd da boss get sometin' like dat?" asked Meowth.

"MechaMew2, Hyper Beam," ordered Giovanni. MechaMew2's mouth opened up and it fired a golden beam of energy that completely took down all of Cyrus' Pokémon in one blast. "Now I'll be claiming that legendary Pokémon that lives here."

"We don't think so!" Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn appeared beside Cyrus and held out their Poké Balls.

"Sinnoh belongs to Team Galactic!" the leader of the extremist group shouted, "And soon, we shall create a perfect world."

"What kind of world could you possibly create?" asked Giovanni, "But that doesn't matter. Sinnoh now belongs to Team Rocket." Immediately, the tanks moved forward and several black portals appeared in the ground from which small black creatures emerged.

"What are those things?" Dawn gasped.

"Are they Pokémon?" asked Brock. Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned on of the black creatures.

"_No entry found."_

"They're not Pokémon!" the boy said frightened. Beside him Richie's eyes widened. He had seen these things before.

"Ash, we need to get out of here now!" he called to his friends, "I'll explain everything later!"

"Richie, do you know what these things are?" Ash asked.

"I said I'll explain everything later, now come on!" And with that, Richie led Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Dawn away.

"Sir, those children are escaping!" a Rocket Grunt reported.

"Leave them." Giovanni pointed a finger at Jessie, James, and Meowth. "Bring me those three."

o o o

It had been a sunny day, but now the sky was completely covered in darkness as Richie and the others made their escape from Lake Valor. "They're still after us!" Dawn yelled as the black creatures chased after them.

"Sudowoodo, Rock Throw!" Brock threw one of his Poké Balls out and deployed his Sudowoodo, which quickly picked up a large rock and threw it at the creatures. However, it had no effect on them as the continued to advance. Dawn brought out her Piplup and commanded it to use Bubblebeam, but that had no different effect. After that, Ash tried his Staravia's Aerial Ace only to have it fail like his friends' Pokémon.

"Come on, guys!" Richie urged.

"What are those things, Richie?" Ash asked.

"You're not going to believe me when I tell you this, but they're creatures from another universe whose goal is to destroy all other worlds," answered Richie, "They seek out people with darkness in their hearts and feed off it, further corrupting that person and then allying themselves with them."

"So those things allied themselves with Team Rocket's leader?"

"Exactly. The ones chasing after us serve Giovanni."

"You know an awful lot about these things, Richie," Brock noticed.

"I'm afraid I can't explain it right now," Richie replied as they continued running, "Now come on. We have to get out of here."

"If they plan to destroy our world, then how are we supposed to escape?" asked Dawn. Richie fell silent for a while.

"I don't know..." Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks as more creatures rose out of the ground in front of them. "I'll handle this!" Richie took out one of his star-marked Poké Balls and threw it into the air. "Zippo, Flamethrower! Let's go!" His ball opened up and his Charizard appeared and unleashed a blast of fire that seemed to push the creatures back.

"How come Richie's Pokémon can damage them?" Brock wondered.

"Sparky, use Thunder!" commanded Richie.

"PIKA!" Sparky leapt off Richie's head and unleashed a massive bolt of lightning down on the monsters.

"I'll help!" Ash declared as he ran up beside his friend.

"Ash, no! It won't work!" Richie warned.

"I have to try! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pi...ka...CHU!" Pikachu unleashed a bolt of thunder into the air and it struck several creatures, destroying them.

"Yeah! I got one!"

"Ash?" Richie stared as his friend for a while. "Could it be...?"

"Chu!" Sparky yelled.

"Right." Richie turned back to the battle. "Sparky, Quick Attack!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack too!" ordered Ash. The boys watched as their two Pikachu together dashed back and forth and struck the creatures one by one.

"There's no doubt about it," Richie thought out loud, "Ash is the one."

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash urged.

"Ash, come with me quick!" Richie grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him away while recalling Zippo and Sparky.

"Where are we going?" asked the boy in the red cap.

"I'll explain later! Just come!"

"Pikachu, come back!"

"Pika!"

"But what about Brock and Dawn?" This was what Richie hated most.

"I'm afraid we can't let them come."

"WHAT?"

Richie reached into a pocket inside his vest and took out a small device. "This is Agent Williams. Open the rift!" A few seconds passed before a blue portal opened up. "Ash, get in! Pikachu too!"

"But..."

"Just do it!" Richie shoved his friend through the portal before turning to Dawn and Brock, "I'm _REALLY_ sorry, guys. Please, try to hold out for as long as you can. We'll be back soon. I promise!" And with that, he stepped through the portal before it disappeared.

o o o

Ash looked around as Richie led him and Pikachu through the unfamiliar environment. From the looks of the hallways, they were in some kind of highly-advanced facility. However, that was all he was able to gather. "Richie, where are we?"

"Well Ash, I was bound to secrecy but since the situation has changed, I guess I owe you an explanation." Richie took in a deep breath and began to speak. "I'm a member of a multi-universal group of protectors called the Anime Defense Initiative, or ADI for short. We're always monitoring the statuses of every world to make sure everything stays in balance. The thing is that in order to preserve the order of all the worlds, we're forbidden from mentioning the ADI and its operations to anyone in our respective worlds." He stopped at the end of the hallway at a locked door and stepped up to a panel on the side. A beam of light passed over his face and then his right eye. A few lines appeared on the screen and a loud click resounded. Richie pushed the door open and had Ash come in after him. He shut the door behind his friend and they resumed walking.

"So what are those black things?" Ash inquired.

"They're called the Blackhearted," answered Richie, "Creatures of pure darkness that feed off the darkness in people's hearts. They corrupt their victims by eating away at the inhibitors that keep that darkness in check and then that darkness consumes the person completely. A person with a plentiful supply of darkness in their hearts generally takes longer to corrupt, though, since their locks are stronger." The came up to an elevator and went down five floors before emerging into another hallway. Richie led his friend through yet another door and they entered a large room.

"Welcome back, Richie." The one who had spoken was a young man appearing to be around twenty-five years of age with messy black hair wearing a plain white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. He sat on a couch in a most peculiar manner that looked more like he was crouching holding a chocolate bar in his right hand using only his index finger and thumb.

"Ash, this is another member of the ADI," Richie introduced, "This is the famous detective, L."

"Please," L swallowed his mouthful, "call me Ryuzaki." He then took another bite of his chocolate. The door opened and in stepped a short nine-year-old boy with grey hair wearing a blue zip-up hoodie carrying a laptop under one arm.

"Ash, this is our IT guy. Sean Obihiro."

"Is this another one, Richie?" Sean asked as he looked Ash over.

"I believe so," answered Richie, "I'm pretty sure he's the new Chosen of Thunder."

"And your logic for this is?"

"He was able to destroy the Blackhearted using electricity from his partner."

"I don't see a partner." Suddenly, Pikachu jumped off Ash's back and landed by his foot.

"Pika."

"Oh, my mistake. Nice to meet you." Sean shook hands with Ash and went on his way to resume whatever he was doing.

"Say Richie… L took a bite of his chocolate. "Why don't you take your friend to meet the other Chosens?"

"Good idea, Ryuzaki. Come on, Ash." Once again, Ash found himself being led back to the elevator and down more floors before being guided through several unfamiliar corridors.

"What's his deal?"

"As a famous detective, Ryuzaki has to keep his real name a secret in case someone ever finds it and tries to kill him," Richie explained, "That's why he has so many aliases. L, Rue Ryuzaki, Hideki Ryuga, Eraldo Coil, Deneuve. The list goes on. Here we are." Richie pushed a button on a side panel and a door slid open to reveal a large room. Ash looked inside but he could only see a few individuals. The first one he was introduced to was a fourteen-year-old boy who looked significantly younger than he actually was with navy-blue hair wearing a blue jacket and shorts, but no shirt for some peculiar reason.

"Ash, this is Simon," Richie introduced.

"Uh, hi," Ash greeted, still a little unsure about everything.

"Hi," Simon greeted back.

"And over here." Richie took Ash over to meet a blond boy whose hair had been tied back into a long braid wearing all-black save for a long red overcoat. "This is Edward Elric."

"Hey Richie. Who's this guy?" Edward asked.

"This is my good friend, Ash," Richie introduced.

"Hey, Ash. Hope you weren't as scared as my brother when you first saw the Blackhearted."

"Believe me, Ed, you have no idea." With that said, Richie moved on. The next was a boy with brown spiky hair wearing black shorts, a large red boots, and a matching jacket with large white stars on his shoulders. A pair of what Ash personally defined as giant green sunglasses rested on top of his head as he fiddled with some kind of blue device on his left arm.

"Any luck contacting WarRock, Subaru?" Richie ashed.

"Not yet," the one called Subaru sighed as he looked up, "Who's this?"

"This is Ash Ketchum." Richie turned to Ash, "Ash, I'd like you to meet Subaru Hoshikawa."

"Hi," Ash greeted.

"Hey." Subaru closed the device on his arm and stood up. "I'll be right back. I need to use the bathroom." And he walked off."

"That's just three of the guys," Richie informed Ash as they left the room.

"How many are there?" the black-haired boy inquired.

"In total, sixteen." Ash stopped in his tracks.

"S-s-sixteen?"

"One for every element," Richie explained, "You see, when the ADI was first created, it was to defend the worlds with the help of sixteen stone holders, each bearing a different element. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Thunder, Ice Wood, Steel, Light, Darkness, Time, Stars, Spirit, Mind, Destiny, and Chaos."

"So you're saying there was another group before?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately, not all of them were able to keep their powers. We've had to search for most of them. And Ash, I think you're the new bearer of the element of Thunder."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Pikachu was the only one of your Pokémon that could damage the Blackhearted."

"So what does that have to do with me directly?" asked Ash.

"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.

"You'll find out in a bit."

"Okay." There was a short silence between the two boys. "So what powers did those guys back there have?"

"Simon's is the element of Earth. Edward has the element of Steel. And Subaru wields the element of the Stars."

"I see. Hey Richie, where are we going?"

"To the training room," answered Richie, "That's where we can be sure to find someone." True to his word, there were a few people in the training room. The one giving out orders to the others was a man in a dark blue suit and a green vest with grey hair, a mask, and a steel-plated headband that had been pulled down over his left eye.

"Kakashi!" Richie called. The man turned and looked at the boy as he and Ash approached.

"Well, hello Richie. And who's your friend?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash introduced, now feeling less nervous and confused about the whole thing.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kakashi Hatake. Now then, let's..."

"Later, Kakashi. I'm just showing him around right now." Richie took Ash to the side. "That's Kakashi. He's a ninja and one of the best teachers in his world. As a result, he's the ADI's training facilitator." A loud gunshot alerted their attention over to a boy in a black suit and black hair with three white horizontal strips running along the left side of his head. He wore matching skull rings on both middle fingers and was holding a pair of silver handguns with his pinkies wrapped around the triggers.

"We call him Death the Kid," said Richie, "He's the Grim Reaper's son and he wields the element of Spirit." Their attention was then diverted to a teenage boy with brown spiky hair in very fancy black clothes swinging around a giant key. "And that's Sora. He was with the ADI in the past. But after that last battle, the power of Destiny somehow transferred over to him. And if anyone's had more experience with interdimensional travel than anyone else, it would be him."

As Ash looked around, he spotted a white-haired ten-year-old boy slumped lifelessly on a nearby bench. "Hey Richie, what's wrong with him?" Richie looked and immediately knew what was happening.

"Oh, right. Uh..." The auburn-haired boy grabbed a pair of goggles off the nearest wall. "Here, you better put these on." Ash did as he was told. As soon as he had, he could see the same boy running across the room. But he was wearing robes and wielding a long sword. He looked back at the bench and saw that he was still there.

"What the?"

"That's Toshiro Hitsugaya, wielder of the power of Ice. He's a Shinigami and that form over there on the bench is just a human shell he uses. The one you see with the sword is his real form. But since he's just a spirit, you really can't see him so we have the goggles."

"Whoa..." Ash just looked at everyone for a while before taking off the goggles and turning to Richie, "So is there anyone else?"

"Well, Django is around somewhere," Richie answered, "Aside from him, that's everyone for now. We're still looking for the rest of the elemental Chosens."

"Who's Django?"

"He's our Chosen of Light. We don't know how it works, but he has a gun that's able to fired concentrated beams of sunlight. Anyway, want me to show you to your room? You're gonna be here a while."

"I guess so." Ash followed Richie out of the training room and down several more corridors until they arrived in a hallway lined with doors. They stopped outside one of them and Ash was let inside. It was a very simple room with a single bed, a desk with a computer and chair, some hooks on the wall, and a small dresser, which contained some towels, soap, shampoo, and other toiletries.

"The bathroom is just down the hall to your right," Richie said, "You need anything Ash? I can have some food brought up later."

"I think I'll be fine, Richie. I just need some time to get used to everything."

"I know what you mean. I was just as overwhelmed when I first joined the ADI. But you'll be fine, Ash. And if nothing else, you at least have me and Pikachu."

"That's true."

"I'll see you later, Ash." And with that, Richie left leaving Ash by himself. The young Pokémon trainer put Pikachu down on the desk and threw himself onto the bed. He let out a sigh as he stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling.

_Is all this really true?_ he wondered to himself, _The Blackhearted. The ADI. All these people. The power of Thunder. Am I just dreaming or is this all real?_

o o o

Elsewhere, in the frozen wastelands of an undisclosed location, a large black fortress stood tall and fearsome. Deep within its walls, several figures stood together. Despite the frigid temperature, Giovanni sat comfortably in his chair with one hand stroking his Persian's head while the other brought a glass of whiskey to his lips. Two Team Rocket Grunts stood on either side of him as bodyguards. "Those Blackhearted creatures are incredibly powerful. With their help, I shall conquer my world."

"The creatures that served you will continue to do so as long as you are able to maintain the darkness in your heart," a child's voice from the shadows said.

"The Blackhearted are fine, but I much prefer my minions." A tall man in a black leather robe with a hood obscuring his face stepped forward. "I much prefer the Nobodies."

"Well nobody is forcing use to use the Blackhearted," a man with his head wrapped in a long scarf and three eyes printed across his face stepped into the light.

"And what were your names again?" Giovanni asked as he rested his whiskey on his armrest.

"I am Xemnas."

"Asura."

An unusually large bat flew into the room and transformed into an enormous vampire with hair resembling a pair of horns. "You have the support of the Immortals, as well."

"The Count of Ground-Soaking Blood," a deep booming voice resonated, "A pleasure to have you with us." Another man shrouded in a black cloak stepped out from the shadows, his right forearm glowing with a mark that resembled a spider.

"The power of the Earthbound Immortals is with us, as well."

"As is an entire legion of demons." The last one who had spoken was a man with long black hair wearing armor made of demon bones and a blue robe held in place by a yellow belt. Red eyes looked out from his chest and the backs of his hands and he stepped out revealing several sharp spikes jutting out of his back as well as three green eel tails.

"Naraku, the demon lord himself."

"Demon lord is too complimentary for someone such as him." The voice of the last person who had spoken belonged to a blond man in a purple fur-trimmed suit with razor-sharp teeth and two cleavers handing from his belt.

"Viral, the Beast Man."

"Such unrefined creatures, Beast Men. Nothing beats a well-made Homunculus." The last one who had spoken was an old man seated in a stone chair with a large amalgamation of tubes and wires connected to it.

"Ah, Father. It's nice to see you here. Or did you prefer to be called by another name?"

"I don't see why we shouldn't address each other by our true identities." The voice that had spoken last belonged to a young boy with long green hair wearing a purple and white outfit and earphones attached to a strange device that looked like an iPod.

"And you are?"

"Tsukasa Futaba. And my partner." A mass of yellow energy rose up behind him and two masks appeared on it, one white and one black. "Gemini." Tsukasa held out the device and the two beings fused together to create two warriors wearing similar outfits but opposite colors – one black and one white – with bright orange hair and each equipped with an enormous golden arm; the white one's golden arm was his left and the black one's was his right.

"Together, we are Gemini Spark."

"As nice as it is to know all your names, I have a more pressing matter that I hope can be addressed quickly." This new voice came from a young boy dressed entirely in white with white hair and a blank look in his eyes. "How are we to travel between universes. Not even my magic is strong enough."

"That is where my technology comes in." A man of a light reddish skin color walked in. From the look of his especially long pointed ears, it could be determined that he was some kind of elf. He had long beautiful blond hair and glowing green eyes. His bright red and gold robes flowed as he walked and three glowing green orbs of energy floated around his head. "My fortress is an interdimensional ship that can travel between dimensions. With the technology I have at my disposal, we shall be able to create our own pathways to the different worlds."

"I see you're looking much better now," the child's voice from before said, "Prince Sunstrider." Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider turned to the direction of the child's voice.

"I was a fool to pledge loyalty to demons. I should've relied on myself from the very beginning. Thanks to the Blackhearted, I was given a third chance. My power was restored and I was cured of that accursed hunger that turned me into a Wretched." He placed his hand over his chest where the Fel Crystal had once been. "Now, I shall use this power to help my people. My homeland has long since been turned to ash and cinders, but I shall bring back the glory of my Blood Elven brothers. Selama ashal'anore." The last sentence was spoken in his own tongue, but nobody seemed to care.

"Well, I think it's good to have you here with us." A tall man with white hair and a tattoo under his wearing an all-white uniform sat in a nearby chair. He had a bag of marshmallows next to him and he casually took one of the fluffy white sweets from within it and placed it in his mouth.

"Byakuran, right?" the child's voice asked, "I understand what you desire, but surely you can think of something much more productive to use the Blackhearted for."

"Let him do as he wishes," the deep booming voice echoed, "Besides, we have one thing that the last wave of Blackhearted did not: allies."

"I would not call myself an ally with you!" Kael'thas said toward the source of the voice.

"I understand you two have a bad history with each other, but you're not going to let that get in the way," the child's voice spoke up, "Listen, we've already got a good army here. The Blackhearted, Team Rocket, the Nobodies, the Immortals, the Beast Men, the Sunfury, and the Millefiore Family united under one flag."

"Don't forget my army," the booming voice added as its source stood up from the icy throne on which he sat. He stepped forward into the light, revealing an extremely tall man with thin white hair in a full suit of armor etched with skull designs all over. Thick layers of fur covered various parts of the armor to keep the wearer warm against the frigid temperatures outside that penetrated the fortress walls. His face masked behind a fearsome helmet that doubled as his crown. In his right hand, he wielded a large sword with several glowing runes on the blade and a demonic horned skull on the crossguard.

"Allied with the Blackhearted, the armies of the Scourge shall consume all worlds. And all shall bow before _**the Lich King**_!"

* * *

Well, that concludes the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


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